Activities Other Than Tv Encouraged By Educators

April 22, 1998|By JILL STORMS; Courant Correspondent

BARKHAMSTED — Rug Rats will be a bit lonelier this week when some children across the country avoid television during the National TV-Turnoff Week starting today. Instead of pressing the clicker, Barkhamsted teachers hope their students will turn a page in a book.

This year, teachers at Barkhamsted Elementary School are encouraging the 350 students to take part in the annual event. Student council members lobbied their peers to join the ban, students made posters promoting the event and administrators sent home a list of 101 other things to do during the week.

Third-grader Mike Woods, a member of the student council, will participate this year for the first time. Though he will miss his favorite programs -- cartoons Garfield and Rug Rats, and Bob Villa's home improvement show -- Woods has an idea of how to pass the time.

``I'll probably jump on the trampoline or play soccer in the back yard,'' he said Tuesday.

Barbara Creaser, the language arts coordinator at the school, has planned five days of reading activities to keep minds stimulated. Creaser has incorporated into the week the school's annual Read Aloud Day, which used to be held in the winter, when guest readers share a book.

``We're trying to push reading activities, and this would fit in so well with this week,'' Creaser said.

The students are issued pledge cards, which they sign and list what activities they do instead of watching television. They are also given red ribbons to tape across the television screen. Last year, nearly 90 children at the elementary school turned off their televisions for one week.

Creaser coordinates the reading, writing, spelling and handwriting programs at the school and arranges tests. She said television is such a presence in students' lives that they often talk about it in school.

``Kids watch a lot of TV, and that's one reason why were really want to emphasize the habit of reading,'' Creaser said.

Statistics show the average American watches more than four hours of TV each day, and the average child watches 1,680 minutes of TV per week.

Superintendent Judith Condon was so moved by the statistics that she issued a proclamation declaring the school's participation in no-TV week. She urged parents to follow suit.

``Instead of watching TV, I urge you to spend time doing fun things like talking and playing with your family, reading, taking hikes, trying new recipes and playing board games,'' Condon proclaimed. ``Try to find new, safe, fun activities to do.''

Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for Connecticut Public Television, said TV ``should be used as a positive reinforcement to education and personal exploration.'' She said public and private television stations provide valuable programs and ``resources to broaden your horizons.''